MindGym Philippines

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” — Benjamin Franklin

It’s 47 sleeps to go before your big day – the March 2012 LET.

For the few who chose to join MindGym’s Intensive Coaching for the LET, you are on track.  The General Education module drills that you will be taking on Saturday, January 28, 2012 may give you that extra confidence to face the LET’s very broad general education competencies, the signal for extra time and effort on doing the drills and reading more, or added push to focus on your LET target.  Make the most of the next three days to review for English, Math, Filipino, Social Studies, ICT, and Science so that when you see your scores you will have the feeling of having levelled up from the diagnostic test you took when you joined MindGym’s coaching for LET.  If you feel like needing reinforcement or even just the motivation to move on forward, call on your coaches or ask help from a friend or study buddy or get a hug from a loved one.  If you’re all by yourself (and this is almost impossible with all the social networks everyone has with the advent of the internet), talk to your cat or dog and its approval purrr or arf! arf!

For the many who are reviewing with other colleges, universities, and review centers, you should be on track as well.  If you want to experience our LET coaching at MindGym, you may register for our Final Coaching on February 24 to 26.  Registration will be until February 11.  Joining us for the final coaching will give you the extra boost to your LET confidence as our speakers give you some power refreshers for their subject expertise and the inspiration to pass and top LET as you listen to our LET topnotchers and special LET reviewees who were able to hurdle their challenges despite their odds.

For the many who continue to canvass from us and remain at a lost as to where they will start their LET preparation, you should be working up you knowledge, skills, and minds NOW.  With the commitment of MindGym to help determined LET takers to pass this March, the creativity of coaches to make time for special sessions, and some remaining modules still to be conducted, you still have relatively enough time to prepare.  Here are some MindGym options for “crammers”:

Option 1: Catch up with Professional Education module to start on January 29, Majorship weekend on February 18 and 19, and Final Coaching on the last weekend on February.  You may opt to either: a) pay for the materials for Warm-ups and General Education or b) materials for ProfEd, majorship and final coaching only.  This comes with a FREE diagnostic test.

Option 2: Self-review using whatever reviewers you have and register for our Final Coaching.  Under this option, get a FREE diagnostic test from to help direct your review.

Option 3: For the very disciplined and self-propelled LET taker, try our online LET review at www.myreviewcoach.com for only P 2,950.  Study the review materials and do all the drills at your own time and pace for at least 4 hours a day.  If you decide to take this option, we’d also be happy to have you at our Final Coaching.  We have a special discount package available for this option.

Option 4: If you only need brushing up or enrichment in particular subjects, we have one-on-one coaching at MindGym.  Your coaching package cost will depend on your needs, the time needed to coach you, and the subject matter that you need coaching on.  Friendly MindGym rates would apply.  Prior appointment is needed.

There’s still 960 hours (assuming that you take a rest a week before LET) on your hands to prepare for LET.  Reviewing for at least 4 hours a day is realistically possible.  It only means foregoing the movies, the shopping, and the online social network sites which have been proven time wasters for many students.

Act now.  Increase your chances of passing the LET.  Target to pass LET on first take.  Face LET stronger as a retaker.  And realize your dream of getting your PRC teaching license this Year of the Dragon.

Let us help you with your LET target.  Contact 437-5880 or email: mindgym.inc@gmail.com or post at FaceBook page: mindgym philippines

Four MindGym LET reviewees made it to the top of the September 2011 Licensure Examinations for Teachers (LET):

• Dorothy Ann Angco (6)
• Wilson Espiritu (7)
• Patricia Caguin-del Rosario (10)
• Celeste Lamayan (10).

For the past five LETs, MindGym has coached, challenged, and cared for a total of 13 LET topnotchers—a commendable track record for a young LET review center.

For first-time LET reviewees, the center had attained an exceptionally high passing rate of 95% compared to the 23% national passing rate.  Even our passing rate for re-takers from various universities was a significant high at 79%.

Interested to review for the LET with MindGym? Find out more here. Classes for the March 2012 LET will begin on January 7, 2012 so register as soon as you can so you’ll have time to prepare your schedules and take the diagnostic exam.

You have only 82 days left before the March 11, 2012 LET date.

Give yourself a bigger chance of passing or even topping the LET by preparing early:

• Retrieve your books, notes, reviewers, and other references.
• Start planning your review schedule this Christmas season.
• If you haven’t yet registered at PRC, it’s time you go there soonest to avoid the last day rush.

Also, if you are still canvassing for a LET review center that will help you succeed in LET, why not try MindGym Philippines?

To help prospective LET takers, MindGym gives FREE diagnostic or LET readiness tests to interested parties. Call 437-5880 or text 0927-8770800 (your name, school, major, and if first timer or retaker; date of visit).

Enjoy MindGym’s interactive, fun, and effective intensive coaching for the LET as MindGym coaches (LET topnotchers and high raters) lead you through LET competencies in a 17-day session every Saturday and Sunday, to start January 7 until the end of February.

Just in case, if studying at your own pace and time, whether by yourself and in the confines of your home or office, our online review at MyReviewCoach might be more viable for you.

Whether it’s self-review, live coaching, or online study — START NOW!

Start reading, learning, and enriching your Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) knowledge if you have to take this specialization for the LET.  Diverse subjects will be tested in the LET though you may have taken only one or two of the subjects in-depth: Cosmetology, Food, Business Math, Entrepreneurship, Carpentry, Masonry, Plumbing, Electrical, Electronics and Drafting.  Make use of the Christmas vacation to go to a beauty salon; carefully watch kitchen activities; brush up on your investment and accounting knowledge, and visit an ongoing home or building construction to enrich your knowledge in TLE.

Here are a few items to warm you up a bit.

1. The dimension taken from front to the rear of the object is referred to as _______.

A. width

B. length

C. depth

D. height

2. Which type of financial statement shows how much cash is coming in and how much you are   paying for purchases and other expenses?

A. Income Statement

B. Balance sheet

C. Cash flow statement

D. Account Statement

3. What wrench is used to unscrew headless screws?

A. Adjustable wrench

B. Box-end wrench

C. Open-end wrench

D. Allen wrench

4. Which is true of the Russian style of table service? A waiter serves

A. the different courses one at a time.

B. the food using blue plate.

C. all the food using trolley.

D. the food using underliner.

5. Which wood joint is the simplest and easiest to make?

A. Dado

B. Miter

C. Rabbet

D. Butt

5. B. Disability

1. Which among the following is a mood disorder?

A. Bipolar disorder

B. Obsessive/compulsive disorder

C. Phobias

D. Selective mutism

2. It is the placement of a disabled child who is enrolled in a special class, in a regular school, where a student could participate in some activities with nondisabled peers.

A. Normalization

B. Mainstreaming

C. Integration

D. Inclusion

3. This is the inability or loss of ability to manipulate arithmetic symbols and do mathematical calculations

A. Congenital Arithmetic Disorder

B. Gerstman Syndrome

C. Dyscalculla

D. Acalculla

4. It states: “Where needs warrant, there shall be at least one special class in every province, and if possible, special schools for the physically handicapped, the mentally retarded, the emotionally disturbed and the specially gifted. The private sectors shall be given all the necessary inducement and encouragement.”

A. Declaration of the Rights of the Mentally Retarded

B. Education Act of 1982 (Batas Pambansa 232)

C. Child and Youth Welfare Code (PD 603)

D. Rights of the Disabled

5. This is defined as any restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being.

A. Abnormality

B. Disability

C. Handicap

D. Impairment

1. With the promotion of social justice in mind, which does NOT belong to the group?

A. Equitable access to education

B. Profit sharing

C. Diffusion of wealth

D. Absolute right over property

2. Which part of the Visayas receives the least precipitation?

A. Northern

B. Eastern

C. Western

D. Central

3. When the Filipino reformists asked for the assimilation of the Philippines by Spain, what did they ask for?  For the Philippines to ________.

A. become independent from Spain

B. become a province of Spain

C. be independent from Spain with certain conditions

D. be represented in the Spanish Cortes

4. How is the so-called colonial mentality manifested?

A. Cultural relativism

B. Cultural diversity

C. Xenocentrism

D. Ethnocentrism

5. The maximum price that can be legally changed for a good or service is called _____.

A. minimum wage

B. price floor

C. legal wage

D. price ceiling

1. He is the “Father of Pedagogy” and considered the first to teach young children of preschool age.

A. John Dewey

B. Howard Gardner

C. Burrhus Skinner

D. Johann Heinrich Peztalozzi

2. Learning disability is detected when the child:

A. has visual or hearing difficulty.

B. is a brain injured and has difficulty in talking.

C. is mentally retarded or has emotional disturbance.

D. does not achieve commensurate with his/her ability level.

3. What should the teacher apply when struggles between children emerge during play?

A. Conflict Management

B. Facilitation

C. Motivate

D. Observation

4. Which is the most essential consideration in making a schedule in the preschool?

A. Copy the schedule from your companions since the activities are the same.

B. Make a variety of activities in the schedule.

C. Plan a sequence of events that occur daily in the preschool program that would satisfy the needs of the pupils.

D. Wait for the need to arise, then make a schedule.

5. What mathematical skills can be integrated by counting?

A. Addition, measurement

B. Geometry, seriating

C. Temporal concept, comparing

D. Classifying, telling time

Answers to Day 15 drills on Physical Science

1. D. Butter melts

2. B. potassium chloride

3. B. Absolute humidity

4. B. The earth rotates from west to east.

5. D. 34 m

Para sa specialization sa Filipino, sasaklaw ang mga tanong sa panitikan, wika at mga pamamaraan sa pagtuturo ng Filipino, gaya ng saklaw ng pagsusulit para sa English. Subukang sagutin ang sumusunod na mga tanong upang magabayan ang inyong paghahanda:

1. Sino ang tinaguriang ama ng pelikulang Pilipino na nagtayo ng kauna-unahang kompanya ng pelikula sa bansa na tumatalakay sa kalagayaan ng mga tao?
A. Narcisa Reyes
B. Jose Nepomuceno
C. Jose Reyes
D. Jose Perez

2. Ibigay ang aspekto ng pandiwa ng pangungusap na ito: KASUSULAT LANG NIYA NG KUWENTO.
A. Perpektibo
B. Komtemplatibo
C. Pawatas
D. Imperpekto

3. Sa anong bahagi ng pag-aaral ng wika pinag-uukulan ng pansin ang kayarian ng panaguri at ng paksa?
A. Morpolohiya
B. Ponolohiya
C. Sintaks
D. Semantika

4. Mula sa Verdadero Decalogo:
“Huwag mong kilalanin sa iyong bayan ang kapangyarihan ninuman na hindi halal ng bayan mo at ng iyong mga kababayan, sapagkat ang kapangyarihan ay galing sa diyos at nagsasalita sa budhi ng bawat tao.” Ito ay nangangahulugang:
A. ang Diyos ay boses ng tao
B. makapangyarihan ang mga ito
C. ang Diyos ay makapangyarihan
D. ang boses ng tao ay boses ng Diyos

5. Sa aling panahon naging madalas na paksa ng mga manunulat ang buhay sa lalawigan?
A. Republika
B. Hapon

Answers to DAY 13’s LET questions for English specialization:

1. C. Classicism
2. A. Father and Sons
3. D. communicative writing approach
4. C. That she dances well surprises me.
5. B. editorial page

A quick checklist for your preparation for the English specialization should include: language, literature—world, Filipino in English, and methods in teaching English. Here is a sample of what your review should be able to cover:

1. Which of the following terms describes the subject matter, style, tone and attitude of literature of ancient Greek and Rome?

A. Romanticism

B. Realism

C. Classicism

D. Naturalism

2. Which is NOT a work of Leo Tolstoy?

A. Father and Sons

B. The Death of Ivan Illych

C. Anna Karenina

D. War and Peace

3. When a teacher wants to emphasize the learners’ needs to identify why they are writing and for whom, he/she can use the _________.

A. process approach

B. controlled writing approach

C. free writing approach

D. communicative writing approach

4. Which of the following sentences is done in acceptable English?

A. Gilbert cleaned the table up.

B. Tess is eager to talk to.

C. That she dances well surprises me.

D. He desires that you go.

5. The official stand of the newspaper on a particular issue is found in the _______.

A. Inside page

B. editorial page

C. features section

D. front page

Content course majors among our future professional elementary teachers, you need not worry that much about the scope of the specialization module. Work on basic concepts in all the courses—English, Filipino, math, science, values education and edukasyong pantahanan at pangkabuhayan—and teaching applications and you should do well. Give these a try:

1. It is difficult to teach tense to Filipinos because ______.

A. tense cannot be translated to Filipino

B. English has many tenses

C. it is not present in the Philippine language

D. the Filipino tense is different from English

2. “Tumungo sa ibang bansa ang Pangulo at mga senador.” Ibigay ang kayarian ng pangungusap.

A. Tambalan

B. Langkapan

C. Hugnayan

D. Payak

3. How much larger is the supplement of a 57 degree angle than the complement of a 75 degree angle?

A. 108 degrees

B. 13 degrees

C. 123 degrees

D. 5 degrees

4. Which statement is FALSE?

A. Solid particles have the strongest attractive forces in between.

B. The gas phase has the least kinetic energy.

C. Molecules of solids and liquids are more closely packed than those in gasses.

D. Solids and liquids have more molecules per unit volume, hence their densities are higher.

5. Integrity means wholeness.  The bully lacks integrity in the sense that he/she looks at the world only in terms of _______.

A. popularity

B. power

C. material wealth

D. pleasure

It’s 91 days to go before the March 2012 LET and that’s just 3 months till your LET day.  Make the most of the Christmas holiday break.  You don’t have to sulk in a corner while others are enjoying but at the least: finish filing your LET application with the PRC, select a review center, or brush up your dusty reference books, and prepare your LET study nook.

For today, after having a taste of LET questions in the General Education and Professional Education modules in the past weeks, Biological science majors can take a peek into what they may expect on March 11:

1. Which of the following is referred to as the “suicidal bags” of the cell?

A. Chloroplasts

B. Vacuoles

C. Ribosomes

D. Lysosomes

2. If Albert and Kate have 5 children, all of which are boys, what is the probability that their next child will be a girl?

A. 25%

B. 50%

C. 75%

D. 100%

3. Joy planted 4 pots of gumamela plants in four different locations. What is her independent variable?

A. Location

B. Gumamela plant

C. Pot

D. Plant growth

4. Jason was awakened by his mother because there is fire in their kitchen. What division in his nervous system is most active during this time?

A. Central

B. Parasympathetic

C. Peripheral

D. Sympathetic

5. In which of the following organisms are tracheal systems for gas exchange found?

A. Earthworm

B. Jellyfish

C. Insect

D. Vertebrate

(P.S.  We still have some slots for our March 2012 LET coaching which starts January 7; visit MindGym for FREE diagnostics but call 437-5880 or text 09278770800 first to set an appointment if you plan to come on days other than Wednesdays or Saturdays which we’ve earmarked as diagnostics day.  Or, if you prefer an online LET review since you live or work far from Manila, get a taste of how it is to review online at our other site: www.myreviewcoach.com)

Assessment completes the teaching-learning process—and the Professional Education module of the LET as well. Have the following items for your diagnostic, formative or summative self-evaluation of your preparedness for this part of the test:

1. While she in the process of teaching, Teacher Arlie finds out if her students understand what she is teaching. What is Teacher Arlie engaged in?

A. Criterion-reference evaluation

B. Summative evaluation

C. Formative evaluation

D. Norm-reference evaluation

2. Which behavioral term describes a lesson outcome in the highest level of Bloom’s cognitive domain?

A. Create

B. Evaluate

C. Analyze

D. Design

3. Which is the most authentic way of measuring student’s ability to debate?

A. Let them watch debates on video and ask them to identify strong and weak points.

B. Ask them to outline the steps involved in a debate and list down do’s and don’ts.

C. Have the students witness a debate and ask them to evaluate the debate after.

D. Organize a debate in class and have them debate on a controversial issue.

4. Teacher Marielle constructed a matching type test. In her columns of items are combinations of events, people and circumstances. Which of the following guidelines in constructing matching type of test did she VIOLATE?

A. List options in an alphabetical order.

B. Make list of items homogeneous.

C. Make list of items heterogeneous.

D. Provide more options than stems.

5. Among the choices given, A, B, C, D, for an item, no student chose D. It means D is:

A. a defective distracter

B. a vague distracter

C. an effective distracter

D. a plausible distracter

LET reviewee, don’t be discouraged by the long list of psychologists-theorists that have contributed to our understanding of the learning process and child and adolescent development. Just aim for the mastery of theorist-theory association and the basic terms and principles and items such as these will be no problem for you:

1. A teacher rewards a child for doing things correctly. This technique is called:

A. Reinforcement

B. Fading

C. Chaining

D. Conditioning

2. Based on Piaget’s theory, what should a teacher provide in the formal operational stage?

A. Games and other physical activities to develop motor skills

B. Learning activities that involve problems of classification and ordering

C. Stimulating environment with ample objects to play with

D. Activities for hypothesis formulation

3. Contrary to Freud’s concept that the primary motivation of human behavior is sexual in nature, Erikson’s is _________ in nature.

A. Biological

B. Cultural

C. Physical

D. Social

4. If one is asked to develop himself to the fullest, what need is s/he trying to satisfy according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

A. Safety needs

B. Physiological needs

C. Self-actualization

D. Belongingness

5. Teacher Wendell gives his students opportunities to be creative because of his conviction that much learning results from the need to express creativity. On which theory is Teacher Wendell’s conviction anchored?

A. Behaviorist

B. Humanist

C. Cognitivist

D. Associationist

Answers to DAY 8’s LET questions for principles of teaching:

1. A. Establish routines for all daily needs and tasks.

2. D. Reject a student’s response at once.

3. C. Use a microscope properly

4. D. Brainstorming

5. B. The higher the level of the question the longer the wait time.

Do you find doing  our drills helpful?  For this post, we’ll start with Professional Education.  But, before we do that, you may check your answers yesterday.

Of all parts of the Professional Education module, questions on the principles of teaching should be the easiest—they are mostly situations which ask for your appropriate response as a teacher. Try out these questions to see how prepared you are for the LET and for teaching:

1. Which is a sound classroom management practice?

A. Establish routines for all daily needs and tasks.

B. Avoid establishing routines; routines make your student robots.

C. Apply reactive approach to discipline.

D. Apply rules and policies on a case to case basis.

2. To encourage class participation, which should the teacher NEVER do?

A. Call on non-volunteers to recite.

B. Ask non-directed questions.

C. Pose high-level questions.

D. Reject a student’s response at once.

3. For which may you use the direct instruction method?

A. Become aware of the pollutants around us

B. Appreciate Milton’s Paradise Lost

C. Use a microscope properly

D. Distinguish war from aggression

4. Which activity should I use when I want to generate possible topics for panel discussion?

A. Task group

B. Forum

C. Debate

D. Brainstorming

5. Which statement on “wait time” is CORRECT?

A. Wait time turns off slow thinking students.

B. The higher the level of the question the longer the wait time.

C. Wait time discourages the brighter group of students.

D. For quality response, “what and why” questions require equal wait time.

Answers to DAY 7’s LET questions for social dimensions of education:

1. C. Emphasis on religious instruction

2. B. Existentialism

3. A. Confucius

4. A. No, only elementary education is compulsory.

5. D. teachers in the tertiary level.

For Professional Education we start with the foundations of education and its social dimensions. This area takes up 10 percent of the whole test. Don’t be surprised to find items such as this in the LET in March:

1. Which feature was TRUE of Philippine education during the Spanish regime?

A. Separation of Church and State

B. Vernacular as a medium of instruction

C. Emphasis on religious instruction

D. Establishment of a normal school

2. If a teacher believes that the purpose of education is to foster self-discovery and consciousness of choice, as well as the responsibility for making choices, then the teacher adheres to the ideas of______.

A. Essentialism

B. Existentialism

C. Empiricism

D. Epicureanism

3. He was considered as the “first teacher” in ancient China.

A. Confucius

B. Mencius

C. Mo-Tzu

D. Lao Tzu

4. Are elementary and secondary education compulsory for all children of school age?

A. No, only elementary education is compulsory.

B. Yes, for all children regardless of age.

C. Yes, that is why they are free of charge.

D. No, this violates parents’ and children’s right to decide what is best for them and their children.

5. The Professional Teachers Code of Ethics does not cover:

A. teachers of academic, vocational, special, technical or non-formal institutions.

B. all full time or part time public and private school teachers and administrators.

C. teachers in all educational institutions at the pre-school, elementary and secondary levels.

D. teachers in the tertiary level.

Answers to DAY 6’s LET questions for IT:

1. B. Cursor

2. A. Spreadsheet

3. D. Modem

4. A. Software

5. C. Keyboard